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Rubella

Sabin works with partners around the world, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to convene symposiums that have brought together more than 2,400 of the world’s global health stakeholders to work on advancing vaccination as a cost-effective weapon in public health.

Sabin is dedicated to reducing the burden and impact of infectious diseases through the use of new and underutilized vaccines.

From 19-22 February 2013, Sabin Executive Vice-President Dr. Ciro de Quadros and Program Officer Brian Shaw participated in the SEARO Regional Consultation on Measles Elimination and Rubella/CRS Control, held in Kathmandu, Nepal. As a member of the Measles Rubella Initiative (MRI), Sabin is committed to the elimination of measles, rubella & congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).

Rwanda’s measles-rubella vaccination campaign, which is being launched today, is the beginning of an effort to vaccinate more than 700 million children under 15 years of age against two disabling and deadly diseases.

Rubella, also known as German Measles, is an often mild disease whose symptoms can range from a fever and rash to signs too mild to detect. When contracted by a pregnant woman in her first 20 weeks, however, rubella can lead to Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) in the fetus, and the effects can be devastating. The disease can cause severe growth and mental retardation, deafness and other developmental problems when the fetus becomes infected. Though the burden of CRS is not well documented, the WHO estimates that in developing countries alone 100,000 cases of CRS occur each year.